Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-09
GALLANT SCOTS.
A DOUGLAS RAISED TO THE PRUssIAu
PEERAeg.
Rcla Cavaliers Who Played Prominent
Part in Continental Wars
The Two Keiths.

New honors, though not OF Scottish ORR
gin or significance, b'ye just accrued 10
the ancient and illustrious house OF Doug
las, says the London Telegraph. IL has
pleased the German Emperor 10 raise 10
the Prussian peerage scion Of that proud
race, identified for many centuries past
with countless stirring events OF the sister,
Kingdoms history, and connected with the
successive royal families OF Scotland by
several marriage alliances. Early In the
seventeenth century cadet OF the For
iarshire DouglSses quilted his native land
10 seek his fortunes abroad, took service
with the elector Of Bradenburg, and final
IL settled down in KOenIgsberg, let
tiers Of Prussian naturalization being
granted 10 him by the reignipg ancestor
Of the present King OF Prussia. From that
adventurous soldier is lineally descended
Hugo Sholto Oscar George Douglas, ex-
captain OF cavalry, upon whom the heredi.
tary title Of baron has been conferred by
William, OF HohenZollern, in recognition
OF brilliant military service rendered to the
fatherIand. His German majesty Is noto-
Tiously chary OF exercising his right to en-
noble servants Of the crown, or those OF his
subjects who have attained great wealth
and territorial possessions by successful
financial or commercial operations. He is
wont TO distinguish persons belonging to
these social categories by bestowing upon
them decorations OF his various or
ders, or bOnorifc titles personal to
themselves, and not, therefore, heritabie
by their male descendants. Even the most
exalted Prussian order OF chiyalry-that OF
the Black Eagle, which ranks with the
Garter, the AnnunZiata, and the Golden
Fleece-does not ennoble its recipien. and
his heirs, as do the Austrian orders OF
Maria Theresa, st. stephen, Leopold, and
the Iron Crown. In all probability Will
liam I. has been mainly induced TO create
Hugo Douglas PrussIaD peer by the fact
that this gentleman has succeeded, alter
long and assiduous research, in proving
to the satisfaction OF the court heralds at
Berlin-his direct descent from the leading
family Of his name in Scotland, and may
therefore boast OF a lineage wellnigh as
ancient as that Of the HohenZollerH him
self. IL is an interesting exemplitica'
ton Of the theory Of transmisslble
characteristics that the strongly-marked
features, dark complexion, and Sc
we're expression Of countenance re.
corded In the family portraits of he Black
DoUglases " have been reproduced with
striking eXaettude in the physiognomy
OF their Prussian descendant. His valorous
deeds during the Franco German war,
which won for him the admiration OF the
gallant army TO which he belonged, and
the hearty appreciation OF his soldier-king.
sufficiently proved that he had inherited
the indomitable courage Of his heroic an
cesters, ever foremost in the fray when
ScOtland's cause summoned them TO arms.
Some years after the conclusion OF peace
between Germany and France Hugo Dou-
glas retired from the Prussian army with
the rank Of rittmeister-csptain OF cay1l-
ry-and took to active political lille. lie
sought and obtained election to the
Prussian diet, in which he has since
sat as one OF the leading members
Of the Conservative party. The branch OF
the Douglas family from which be sprang
has been a conspicuous representative OF
Prussian iunkerdOm, or tOryism, from The
time Of its establishment in Ost-Preussen.
whence it transferred its residence IN the
present century TO Prussian. SaXony, pro-
vince adjoining that in which the Bis
marcks have abided from time immemOrlal.
In the first "united diet" OF Prussia, con-
stituted in the wear 1S47, Herr Won Bis
marck- SchOcnbausen-n now Prince chan
cellor Of Germany-and the father OF Baron
Douglas, represented neighboring cOnstitu-
encies and sat side 10y side on the front Con-
seryatiye bench. The new PruIssian peer
owns extensive mining property at As
chersleben, and is therefore In position, as
far rs worldly goods are concerned, to
maintain bis rank in a manner betting the
descendant OF "great Earl Archibald " and
"cood Lord James,
Baron Douglas, Of Aschersleben, il not
the only "gentle Scot" by many score
who has hewn out, with his own good
sword, a road TO wealth and title in foreign
parts. In days long past the poverty Of
many noble Scottish families prompted
their younger sons to emigrate and seek
service IN the armies OF continental mon
arcbs who happened, as was constantly the
ease, 10 be warning upon one another.
These youthful sciOns OF the old CaledO-
MAN aristOcracy entertained profound
scorn OF all commercial pursuits, and
held the learned professions to be I'M
worthy OF practice by gallants OF an
cicnt lineage. trained TO the use OF
arms, and abundantly exercised in the
art OF war by the sanguibaTy feuds which
chrOnlcalIy distracted the lOwlands and set
clan against clan i'm the Highlands OF Scot
land. Fighting was the only business they
thoroughly understood and sympathized
with. II mattered little to them under
whose flag they transacted It so that 1t
brought them abundance OF glory, advance
mont, and booty. In describing the type
Of "gentleman adventurer which served
him as a model for one OF his most adj
miIable character-sketches-th immortal
Dugad Dalgetty, Of Drumthwacket-Si
Walter Scott wrote "a cavalier OF honor
in search Of his fortune might change his
service as he would his shirt; fight IN one
cause after another without regard to the
Justice of the quarrel, and plumber the
peasantry subjected 10 him by the fate OF
war with the most unrelenting rlpacity,
but he must beware how he sus-
tanned the slightest reprOach even
from clergyman, If it had regard
TO neglect on the score OF duty" The Scot
fish yOnkeTs who cmigrated TO France and
Germany in such numbers during the
fifteenth. sixteenth, aud seventeenth centu-
ries were brave, hardy, aud unscrupulOus-
true as steel TO their employers for the time
being, sternly and punctllously eXacting OF
the consideration due TO them as men OF
noble birth. and absolutely Indifferent to
the merits OF the cause for the support OF
which their swords were hired by kings,
princes, and generals Of approved mar
tial Tenown. or such material was formed
the famous Archer Guard OF Louis HI,
the only body OF soldiers in which that
,imid and suspicious monarch placed unre-
served confidence, eutrusting II exclusively
with The protection of his royal person.
Scotcbmen wtTe cOnspicu0usy to the front
throughout The thirty-y ears war, fighting
with equal intrePidlty and distinction I'M
der Wallenstein and Gustayus Adolphus,
in the imperial ranks, or under the Danish
and Swedish standards. The Mackay regi-
ment- canny Scots to man-was a thorn
in the side OF the empire for eight consecu-
tive years. from 1926 10 1884, when IL was
disbanded at Worms in the Palatinate,
having played glorious part in scores OF
tiercely fought actions. Marshal L0ud0n,
who, century or so later, gave
Frederick the Great 50 many tangled
pirns " to unwind in Bohemia and Silesia,
was a Scotch soldier Of fortune. How high
an opinion Of his military talents had been
formed by the greatest OF royal strategists
may be gathered from the circumstance
that when "Old Fritz" met him for the
first time-in peace, that is TO say--at Neu-
sladt, in September, 100, he said to hun;
"Sit down beside me, NJ. de Loudon; l
bad far rather have you at my side than
facing me-" When the King took leave OF
his siaunch old Scottish adversary on that
occasion. he presented him with Two superb
chargers, magnifeenlly equipped, in token
OF his uhe KiDg's) A" respect and esteem"
The 'Protestaut Hero" was especially